1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to suction wands useful in surgical procedures and methods for producing same.
2. The Prior Art
Suction devices are commonly used in a variety of medical applications to evacuate various fluids from a patient for a variety of purposes. For example, during surgery, blood and other body fluids are commonly removed to permit visual inspection of the surgical site and disposal of the fluids. Historically, suction wands (commonly referred to as "sucker tips") useful for these procedures have been fabricated from metal and were, accordingly, reusable only after suitable cleaning and sterilization. However, with the recent advent of disposable surgical equipment including suction wands, metal suction wands have been almost entirely replaced by the cheaper, light weight, disposable suction wand systems fabricated from plastics.
Although the disposable suction wand systems have provided a number of advantages particularly with respect to convenience, they have demonstrated a tendency to create additional problems relating to maintaining an aseptic condition within the surgical area. Being of light weight, and attached to an extended length of heavier, flexible suction tubing, it has been found that the weight of the suction tubing has a tendency to pull the wand off the sterile operating table into the non-sterile area below the table.
Furthermore, surgeons have discovered that they do not prefer the disposable suction device in spite of its many advantages primarily because the disposable devices do not have the weight or "heft" of the metallic suction devices. Accordingly, what is needed is a suction wand which advantageously incorporates the desirable features of a disposable suction wand and weight of a reusable suction wand. The device should preferably include as the disposable portion all those segments of the suction wand which come in contact with the fluids being aspirated. The wand should also include a weighted portion to impart the preferred feel to the device and also serve to hold the suction wand on the operating table.
Such an improved suction wand and process for manufacturing the same is provided by the present invention.